mozartforever.com

MOZARTFOREVER.COM launches!
The centerpiece of the Universal Classics labels (Deutsche Grammophon, Decca and Philips) Mozart 2006 campaign launches in style with the new mozartforever.com site. Now you've found us, please feel free to look around the site and explore the vast weath of Mozart recordings we have in our combined catalogue. Over the next 12 months we'll be updating this site with the details of our new recordings to celebrate Mozart, do please come back often and see what's new!

MOZART 1956 JUBILEE EDITION
Deutsche Grammophon's splendid celebration of the Mozart bicentenary in 1956 is lovingly re-created - and significantly expanded! - in this beautiful retrospective set and set for release in Janury 2006. Fifty years ago Deutsche Grammophon celebrated the 200th anniversary of Mozart's birth with a special Jubilee Edition. Released in May 1956, it consisted of three double LPs enclosed in a slipcase. Now, in 2006, we are celebrating Mozart's 250th anniversary with an extended version of the original edition: Two six-cd box sets, each containing three double digipacks - more than twice the size and length of the 1956 release (limited edition). Each digipack also available separately.

Website: www.deutschegrammophon.com/mozart-jubilee

Volume 1 (477 5806):
A double CD brings together Ferenc Fricsay's complete repertoire of Mozart orchestral works, in fresh and lively recordings - several first-time international releases on CD (477 5807). An entire set devoted to the piano concerto, featuring an exceptional team of mainly female soloists (Clara Haskil, Monique Haas, Margrit Weber, and Annie Fischer - the odd-man-out, as it were, is Mieczyslaw Horszowski) - except for the Haskil, all of these recordings are appearing for the first time on CD (477 5808). A purely chamber music set offers rare recordings by the Amadeus and Loewenguth Quartets (both quartets and quintets), as well as by Bruno Hoffmann on glass harmonica, the wonderfully ethereal instrument originally specified for the Adagio and Rondo, one of Mozart's last works - all completely new to CD (477 5809). All booklets contain new retrospective essays, photos and illustrations, mirroring the style of the original edition.

Volume 2 (477 5810):
The 2-CD sacred music set includes the live recording of the Requiem, under Eugen Jochum, from St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna, which was part of divine service celebrated on 2 December in 1955 - first international release on CD (477 5811). The Opera Gala, as an original compilation, has been taken over as it was, with a fine mix of overtures, arias and ensembles form the stars of the time, including Seefried, Stader, Streich, Fischer-Dieskau, Haefliger and many others - much is new to CD (477 5812)

The set of great Serenades includes one recording dating back to 1951 (the Haffner, with violinist Dénes Zsigmondy and the Bamberg Symphony under Ferdinand Leitner; the Gran Partita, with 12 wind soloists, plus double bass, of the Berlin Philharmonic under Fritz Lehmann; and the Posthorn) - All completely new to CD (477 5813)